Dark Side of the Moon

The fight between summer and winter begins.

Me on Eagle's peak with Mount Adams far in the background.

On Sunday, listening to Pink Floyd's album "Dark Side of the Moon" playing as my theme music, I hiked up Eagle's Peak one final time. The first time I tried to climb to the top of Eagle's Peak there was so much snow I only made it half way. The second time I peaked the mountain but couldn't see three feet in front of my face. Third times a charm. It was a beautiful autumn day, cool and pleasant. Rainier was in all her glory on the west side with Paradise nestled into her valley and Mount Adams and St. Helen's bordered to the south. The sun was shining in the east and a waning, half Blood Moon hung low dimly in the southwest. I sunned myself like a lazy marmot on the rocks gathering the mid-afternoon heat. I will definately miss the beauty, the moments alone with the mountain. My spirit has gathered strength here but I am anxious to go home and hang with my homies!!

Circle of Life

I plan to use this post for my own catharsis so if you don't wanna hear me bitch feel free to move on. This week has been a whirlwind of change as the mountain closes down. Winter is making major threats of breaking autumn's spirit. I have woken up to a dusting of snow cover for the past five days. It is not the snow or the thought of winter that is breaking my spirit. Actually the snow is beautiful and the mountain looks like it put on a new dress for her Snow King. And I am using this time to acclimate to the cold weather since I am heading back to Maine for the winter. My beef is with my employer who is a god damn inconsiderate, inefficient corporate blockhead. I hate inefficency!! I have had to move twice in the last three days b/c the ass doesn't know what it's head it doing. And, where do I end up. Right back where I started-in the same apartment, room and bed. To refresh your memory see post in May entitled, "Home Sweet Home" or home of the moldy strawberries. Tell me that life isn't a circle. I, of course, begged not to be put back into this situation but of course "there are no other place to put (me)". And, don't get me started on the food situation during the past week, let alone this whole summer. I can not wait to get home to cook healthy, non-fried, meals that include vegetables. Here french fries are considered a vegetable and served at every meal including breakfast. This week my work project has been opening the gift shop for the new visitor center. I will proudly say that I personally put 3/4 of the gift shop together. My boss, of the week, is a paranoid, ADHD, backstabbing hag who doesn't have a funny bone in her body completed one display to my seven in two days because she can't complete a thought without stopping to gab with whoever is handy. Not that I'm bitter about it. As I come full circle a quote from Alice in Wonderland is deemed appropriate: Alice says, "It was much pleasanter at home, when one wasn't always growing larger and smaller, and being ordered about by mice and rabbits." The official countdown has begun. My last day of work here is in 14 days.